CD Review: Florence and the Machine

Lungs (Universal Republic)

October 28, 2009

Florence Welch jumps around so much on her debut album, it's hard to
nail her down. That's probably the point, as the restless 22-year-old
Brit skips from artsy wails to indie-rock scorchers to torch-song
come-ons. But there is one consistent throughout: Florence is a tough
broad. Whether she's declaring "A kick in the teeth is good for some/A
kiss with a fist is better than none" (on "Kiss With a Fist") or
confessing "I'm in the grip of a hurricane/I'm going to blow myself
away" (on "Hurricane Drunk"), Welch takes whatever you can throw at
her. But she gives back plenty on Lungs, tearing into the songs
with teeth and claws. She occasionally drifts into Kate Bush's forest
of witchy women, elevating her kinda-bluesy voice to an operatic
screech while the harp, cello and other smart-rock conventions tag
along. Still, you probably won't want to tangle with her. —
Gallucci